Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 27
And so Gameweek 27’s distant silhouette finally shuffles into view, hands in pocket, scuffing the soles of its sneakers with every slothful step, barely bothered that it kept everyone waiting. Spare a thought then for GW26, left with no choice but to linger, suspended in a moment, encased in FPL carbonite. Thus, we may at least still enjoy the preserved remains of a week that showed a strong showing from some of the more dependable captain candidates. Raheem Sterling (18 points) and Sergio Aguero (17) were the two biggest hitters. In fact they hit so hard that over 200,000 people suffered severe concussion and brought Aguero in for this weekend’s League Cup final. Other worthy mentions go to Paul Pogba (16) and Christian Eriksen (13) while Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan would’ve undoubtedly appreciated the Boly/Wood contributions.
When GW27 does eventually arrive, it will bring with it a selection of unnervingly ordinary captain options. There are no David vs Goliath contests for us to happily go all in on. This of course gives the writer a chance to shoehorn in a few new names and provides a welcome respite from lazily serving up Mo Salah as the number one pick again. Huzzah!
RAUL JIMENÉZ | Bournemouth (A)
So seamlessly has Wolves’ Mexican top-scorer eased into life at Molineux, it’s easy to forget that Raul Jimenez isn’t even a permanent signing. However the West Midlands outfit will surely meet his £30m valuation this summer and parent club Benfica, fresh from humiliating Nacional 10-0, are hardly missing his goals.
A surprisingly subdued team performance in their draw at home to Newcastle United curtailed a 3 game run of form that had brought him 3 goals and an assist. Owners will be hoping for similar returns to that which served up 9 points in GW17’s reverse fixture, a 2-0 victory for Nuno’s men. Lying 5th in the form table, Moutinho, Jota, Neves et al are brimming with confidence.
Bournemouth, on the other hand, are not. That 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea could have been the catalyst for a surge up the league standings, yet have since fallen to both Cardiff and Liverpool without scoring. The absence of young David Brooks seems to have derailed any momentum they had and they look like wounded prey for this pack of Wolves.
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE | Southampton (H)
Who knew that the Gunners were such fans of post-Britpop guitar anthems. Despite the ongoing soap opera surrounding the seldom seen kid Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey’s imminently expiring contract laying the grounds for divorce, surely even the most pessimistic Arsenal fans weren’t anticipating that, in losing away to BATE, they’d see one day like this. Ok, that’s enough italics. The point is, Lacazette’s lackacomposure probably summed up how those poor travelling souls felt in the away end, though hopefully they wouldn’t have resorted to swinging an elbow.
I lied about the italics.
The Frenchman’s brief flash of petulance may prove to be a bonus for his FPL owners. Being out of the frame for that Europa League 2nd leg surely increases, one would imagine, the likelihood of him getting a full 90 minutes at the weekend. Not that Unai Emery needs much of an excuse to do that. 10 goals and 8 assists still leaves him trailing Pierre-Emerick ‘sicknote’ Aubameyang, but Alex is the man in form at The Emirates with 4 goals in 6 games. Hold on… Emery, Emerick, Emirates? What’s going on here? I thought they’d left all that incestuous wordplay nonsense behind when Arsenal parted with Arsene.
After an initial new manager bounce, visitors Southampton are in danger of reverting to type. Draws against Crystal Palace and Burnley, followed by a defeat to Cardiff City have seen them pick up only 2 points from 3 winnable fixtures. However, Saints fans will forever have a smile on their face while Ralph is in charge, as there are few greater joys than saying ‘Ralph Hasenhüttl’. Come on try it. ‘Hasenhüttl’. ‘Hasenhüttl’. ‘Ralph Hasenhüttl’ (Have I hit my minimum word count yet?).
HEUNG-MIN SON | Burnley (A)
As one of the few non-Son owners left, looking back over his prodigious run of points has been rather painful. Akin to peeking into a warehouse and finding out that all your friends are in there enjoying the party of their lives. Everyone except you.
The party’s been going on since GW11, so it seems almost frivolous to talk about ‘form’. That being said he has scored in all 3 games since his return from the Asian Cup and will rock up at Turf Moor this weekend armed with party horns and silly handshakes aplenty, hoping to add to his 11 goals and 7 assists. He’ll want to improve on his single point cameo in GW17’s last-gasp 1-0 victory the last time these teams met, though.
Sixth in the form table, Burnley are scrapping for their lives and showing the kind of spirit that embodied last year’s campaign. Dyche’s men are unbeaten in 7 games, though that obviously has nothing at all to do with the absence of Joe Hart, who lost his place in the team… erm… 7 games ago. The Clarets have been great at picking up points from relegation rivals and were of course moments away from a headline-stealing victory at Old Trafford. They’ll play their part in a game between two teams full to the brim with confidence.
MOHAMED SALAH | Manchester United (A)
“Nature repeats herself more than one would imagine. The sea has infinitely more variety.” Presumably had she still been around, Agatha Christie would’ve now added, “Thanks to Mo Salah’s recent dominance, FPL captain choices are also really repetitive.”
To be fair, a tricky fixture this gameweek poses more consternation than usual, though with Aguero out of contention this time round, for most it will boil down to a choice between Son and Salah. It would be astonishing if the various merits of The Egyptian talisman haven’t long since been branded indelibly into your minds, so how about this instead… Did you know whilst staying abroad in 2014, his educational programme was rescinded and so he was called back to Egypt to serve in the army? Yep. However, the Egyptian PM absolved him from such duties to allow him to focus on football.
“Oh, so he didn’t have to win a f***ing gold medal to get exemption then? That’s fair, innit?” Yeah, all right. Pipe down, Son. Jeez.
With PSG fans’ “Ole”s still ringing in Ole’s ears, Manchester United will be keen to employ the lessons learned from that sobering Champions League reality-check. Motivation would hardly have been in short supply anyhow, given who the visitors to Old Trafford are this Sunday. The Red Devils will be concerned by the possible absences of Anthony Martial, who impressed in their win at Fulham, and Jesse Lingard, who scored United’s only goal in a 3-1 defeat at Anfield earlier this season. However, some reports are circulating that their injuries aren’t as bad as first feared, so watch this space. Or another space. Or just wait for the press conferences.
‘Ralph Hasenhüttl’. Tee hee.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 27. This article was written by Bry.
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Terrific article, thanks. Always a hard act to follow.
Lacazette & McNeil in for Aguero & Rich?
Leaves me just enough to bring Aguero in for Deeney next GW
(Will FH in GW31)
I like those moves. Laca has been decent the last 6+ GWs, and should keep playing due to his EL suspension. But, i feel like i should ask for your BGW/DGW plans before offering any advice.
I’ll FH in GW31. GW32 I should have a very good 11 but need to work out whether to BB or TC.
GW33 I’m a bit short at the moment but hoping for a bit luck with the cup. Watford & Millwall winning would help.
In that case i like the moves.
If i were to look at areas in the team i would prioritize improving it would be looking at turning Rich and R
F***ed up writing in the last comment.
But, i take it you’re focusing on a team that doubles in both GW32 and 35, with Laca, Kun and Rash up top, and Son, Mo and Pog in midfield. Obviously a great base! Am i wrong in guessing you’re going to focus your transfers on the defence in the next GWs?
Thankd.
I still have my wildcard so only really looking up to GW33. Problem I have is lack of funds to improve Peltier and Button.
Well, perhaps Rash could be transferred out to release funds? Normally, he would be a season keeper. But my guess is he’ll miss gw28. Before his injury i was “betting” on him being rested GW 29 to prepare him for PSG, Arsenal away and Wolves in the FA Cup. Now i’m betting on him missing GW28 completely, and best case making the bench this weekend.
A naive question. Can one save FTs for the weeks the FH and WC chips are used. Thanks.
No, FT’s aren’t carried if you activate one of those.
Init,
Thanks, as always.
Hey guys how’s everyone doing? Am I good to go here?
Well, your team is definitely decent. Your week might depend on United and Palace coming through. As for tips on transfers etc. it depends on your plans for the upcoming BGWs and DGWs, FTs and cash in the bank.
Thanks bud, thinking FH for 31 at the moment, I haven’t really thought about the rest. I have all my chips and wc left and I have 1 ft and 0.4 itb, but may just roll over to have 2 next week, any thoughts?
Well, if you’re looking at FH in GW31, i guess you’re also looking at BB or TC in GW32, which means your focus will be on adding players that have doubles in both GW32 and GW35. (GW33 might be difficult for you, but perhaps this tactic could be useful for you?: https://twitter.com/FPL_Hana/status/1098009900616216576 )
Your team is in good shape for the double GWs, so you’ll have the luxury of using transfers to simply improve your team. Perhaps looking at a GK with double GWs (Ryan, Allison, Ederson etc), and in form players like Son, Jota, unless those are “too template” for what you’re looking to do. But, unless your gut feeling really likes a move i think rolling the FT is the best move.
Thanks bud. Very helpful.
Shame we won’t get any more of your articles this season, Bry. They’re like a work of art!
Been ages since I’ve got a chance to post, 2 kids have a way of making your free time disappear quickly.
I’ve had an attempt at digesting mito’s analysis of the impending chaos around the fixtures and chips. Still no idea how to approach the next few weeks!
When is the second dgw likely to be pencilled in? Is it likely to have many teams in it? If yes, I imagine it’s teams that progressed in europe?
@Web, the other DGW is in 35, there is a possibility for a third but that would only likely include Brighton and Cardiff. It will most likely have more teams in 32 than in 35. There is 5 blanks from 31 that are likely to be moved over to 32 and there is the CFC vs Brighton blank from 27 that could jump in there also. The DGW in 35 will probably need about 3 or 4 blanks from GW33 moved over. It has more to do with their progress in the FA.
Two more (naive) questions. Do folks reckon 35 will be the better DGW? And, if one holds one’s TC to the end (following Mito’s options and 4), does a single week TC make much sense? I see: 36 Liv v Hudd and Spurs v Wham; 37 Hudd v ManU; and 38 ManU v Card.Any advice will bwe appreciated.
@Ki
1. Do folks reckon 35 will be the better DGW?
Not necessarily, the two best teams in the DGW are likely to face each other, in Spurs and City, so that’s one fixture we won’t be that happy about if we own their players. United would likely play both games away at Everton and Wolves. Wolves would have two home games, but one of them is United. If they moved the blank from Chelsea in 27 there they would get Burnley and Brighton at home, but that is not likely to happen. Plus, there are some guaranteed DGW teams like Wolves and United, probably Brighton and one of Palace or Watford, but the rest are still up in the air.
2. And, if one holds one’s TC to the end (following Mito’s options and 4), does a single week TC make much sense? I see: 36 Liv v Hudd and Spurs v Wham; 37 Hudd v ManU; and 38 ManU v Card
It makes sense if you nail it, the problem is we won’t know until the gw is over. I think we all prefer a possible two bites at the apple with TC. But even those who went Kun in the DGW would have done almost the same damage if they just captained him for the first game as he barely did anything in the second. Think Ideally you have a player with two decent fixtures, but if you can get double digits in a single GW with your TC, I would consider it good enough.
Mito,
Thanks for the detailed response. Much appreciated.
@Mito, would add a couple of my questions here.
I have 3 players as of now who play in BGW31, with 1 hit, I can take that number to 9 with players who have decent fixtures upto 31. However, while trying to build a team for DGW32 (FH in 31), GW33 allows only 4/5 active players due to presence of 7-8 players from wolves, utd and city in my team. So does this make an obvious choice to FH in 32?
The other thing is though I don’t plan to wildcard before GW31, I do feel 32 might be a better option for BB than 35 due to more number of teams having DGW. Is my thinking correct here?
Hey Sid,
For what it’s worth, I would like to add my 2cents here.
Especially on the second question.
Actually, only on the 2nd one : ) .
Not sure the number of teams having a DGW correlates with playing the BB in that (or any) particular week.
Bench Boost activates the players on your bench, which on a DGW will play twice.
So, you ll have a maximum number of 4 (additional) players 3+GK to play once the BB is active.
Which, by no means is related to the number of DGW teams playing in that chosen week.
Which DGW is better in terms of when to activate your BB is a completely different matter.
However you try to look at it, they are bench warmers – which means they are likely to be low cost players.
The main thing would probably be some good planning while setting up your 1st 11, with one eye on the bench warmers in terms of them being someone who will actually show up and play.
The quality and the number of choices that you would be able to fit in is a completely different matter.
Having 15 players who will actually play is a success on it’s own : ) .
Heyy HL, thanks for your input here, appreciate the detailed response.
What I believe is that in case of any DWG , it will always be a mix of 2-3 top teams (city, utd, etc.) along with mid or bottom table teams. What a bigger DWG does in my view is it gives better or more options of choosing the bench players (4.5 ones from say Brighton or Cardiff), though eventually they might end up giving only 4*2 extra points. But I guess BB is all about that, the core 11 will more or less be always strong, we always try to pick better bench players (not just showing up ones ;))while activating BB, and that is what a bigger DWG might offer.